Withered
by XxTearsOfCrimsonxX
Summary: Cloud, you wouldn't be the man you are today without his help! Zack, shaped you into who you are and yet you're so blindly walking through life, tainting the legacy that was bestowed upon you… I don't know what to think of you anymore, Cloud. ::Poem/Letter::


**A/N – I've been meaning to write a Final Fantasy story for some time now. Something that circled around Aerith and Cloud. Originally, this story was going to be a few chapters long, but I've narrowed it down to a one-shot. This has intentioned angst. Intended AerithxCloud. Apologises, if the Characters are OOC. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or the Characters mentioned.**

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**Summary: **_Cloud, you wouldn't be the man you are today without his help! Zack, shaped you into who you are and yet you're so blindly walking through life, tainting the legacy that was bestowed upon you… I don't know what to think of you anymore, Cloud. ::Poem/Letter::_

* * *

Withered

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.

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'Blinding, darkness surrounds me… And I am reaching, for you, only.'

* * *

_Cloud…? How have you been? It's me, Aerith._

_It's been a while, since we've last spoken.  
…I miss you…_

_You can't see me, but, I can see you.  
I see the inner turmoil that surges beneath your porcelain features._

_I worry for you, Cloud._

_You don't need to be afraid.  
I'm not here to hurt you._

_I don't mean to hurt you._

_I am only what I intend to be.  
Your Guardian Angel._

_But, I'm not __**perfect **__enough to be an Angel.  
Not __**perfect **__enough to be __**your**__ Angel, at least._

_Zack is here, with me right now.  
He worries for you also, Cloud._

_**Do you not see what you are doing?**_

_You act as if everything is fine.  
__**Is **__everything fine?_

_What are you hiding, Cloud?  
What are you so sad about?_

_You don't __**blame **__yourself…  
__**Do you?**_

_You're moving through life.  
__**Alone.**_

_Pushing away everyone close to you._

_Even Tifa.  
I thought you __**cared **__for Tifa._

_She __**cares **__for you, Cloud._

_Your eyes…  
Once so blue and energetic._

_Are, __**lifeless.**_

_Glazed over.  
Their once vibrant colour…_

_**Almost **__grey._

_Why are you doing this to yourself?  
Betraying every right reason that represents your existence._

_**This isn't what Zack had left you!**_

_It makes me so __**mad.  
**__How can you think that this is how things should be?_

_Why are you so sad?_

_Everything is__at peace.  
I am at peace…_

_So __**why **__aren't you?_

_Breathe, for me Cloud.  
I don't want you to cry._

_I want you to __**smile**__ that smile I have come to love._

_I want to __**reach out **__and wrap my arms around you.  
Even though I know, I shouldn't touch you._

_You __**need **__help._

_Please Cloud!  
__**Please!**_

_Would you be like this if you knew how much this was __**hurting me?**_

_Cloud, I'm losing it!  
Sometimes, I feel like I __**can't **__breathe._

_Sometimes, I swear I can__** feel**__ your pain._

_**Cloud!  
**__It hurts to say your name._

_Does it hurt for you, to say mine?_

_Why?  
Why am I begging to an unseeing cause?_

_**Because I don't want to see you give up.**_

_You looked up to Zack, right Cloud?  
Would Zack give up?_

_**No.**_

_Then follow in the __**footsteps **__of the Hero.  
The Hero that died, giving up his life;_

_For __**you.**_

_Cloud, you __**wouldn't be the man**__ you are today without his help!  
Zack, __**shaped **__you into who you are!_

_And yet, you are so __**blindly **__walking through life._

_**Tainting**__ the legacy that was bestowed upon you…  
I don't know what to __**think**__ of you anymore;_

_**Cloud.**_

_Cloud… I…  
I __**love **__you._

_But you're showing me why I __**shouldn't**__._

_Stop mourning over what __**was**__.  
Be happy for what __**is**__._

_And look forward for what shall __**be.**_

_A hopelessness that's drowning.  
__**I'm sorry**__ if I'm responsible. _

_For the __**pain **__you're feeling. _

_**I'm hurting**__ more now, than ever.  
I feel like there's something missing. _

_**You're **__missing._

_Sometimes, if I __**clutch **__at my chest.  
Where my __**heart **__should be._

_The pain will __**go away**__, only momentarily. _

_I'm __**crying **__now.  
I feel __**useless**__. _

_I'm sorry __**I can't**__ be there for you._

_This isn't good for __**me**__.  
Isn't good for __**you**__._

_Isn't good for __**us**__._

_I'm __**leaving**__ now, Cloud.  
I'm __**moving**__ on. _

_And, I hope you'll move on too._

* * *

Feathers are falling, and Cloud stands beneath them. His emotionless eyes, attempting to gaze wonderingly at the scene before him.

A slight breeze whispers elegantly around him, his blonde locks blowing effortlessly with the wind. Cloud lets out a small, audible sigh. Another spasm of emptiness washing through him. He clenches his fists tightly together, and manages to keep up the uncaring façade that he has formed.

Tifa, is standing idly beside Cloud. Her thoughts trained upon the falling feathers; small, tiny white feathers. She is intrigued, unable to understand why _feathers _are falling, seemingly falling from the sky. Out of _nowhere_.

Then a thought hits her.

Averting her gaze to Cloud, Tifa gently reaches forward and grasps his hand. A small, comforting smile forming upon her lips.

Not noticing Tifa's sudden act of reassurance, Cloud steps forward; further into the mass of falling feathers. His arms outstretched, palms facing upwards.

_Feathers… _What do they symbolize?

A low whimper escapes Cloud as a familiar scent fills his nose, he closes his eyes, fighting back tears that long ago, should have been shed. "It's _her_…" He whispers.

And his assumptions are proved correct, when _her _giggle echoes throughout his empty mind.

When Cloud reopens his eyes, he is confronted with nothing but white.

_White_...

"Have you forgotten…?"

Cloud's heart skips a beat, as _her _voice reaches him. That, ever familiar and soothing voice that he had come to cherish; a voice that he had expected to _never _hear again.

"… How could I forget?"

Aerith smiles to herself, before she looks over at _him _from behind her shoulder, "You've been… Sad."

Cloud shuffles uncomfortably on his feet, "I'm allowed to mourn,"

"You've been mourning an _awful _long time, Cloud."

It took all of Cloud's self-control, to _not _turn around and wrap his arms over the one person he had always _loved._

Taking a deep, Aerith turned herself around to face Cloud's back. Her breath, fanning against his neck.

"… I've missed you,"

"I know," Her smile widened, "I've missed you too."

Clearing his throat, Cloud clenched and unclenched his hands, "Why… Am I here?"

Aerith reached out, meaning to touch Cloud. But, retracted her hand quickly, "I, wanted to see you, one last time."

He frowned, "_One last time_…?"

Clasping her hands tightly together, Aerith gave a feeble nod, "I've been watching over you, Cloud." She paused, "I can _see _the inner turmoil you're putting yourself through. I just, can't take it anymore."

Cloud remained silent.

"Zack said he'd watch over you, for a while." She continued, "But I—I'm not, _right _enough to look out for you. I-I'm not perfect, not perfect to be your Guardian Angel,"

At this, Cloud couldn't stop himself. He spun on his heels, and when his eyes locked on _her_. He reached forward and cupped her cheek gently, "Aerith… You're perfect enough to be _more _than a Guardian Angel," He muttered.

At this, Aerith smiled.

To Cloud, this smile was the most _amazing _and _beautiful _thing he had ever seen. His thumb, slowly caressed her seemingly perfect face.

"You need to forget about me,"

Cloud frowned and pulled his hand back, surprised by Aerith's words, "… What?"

She took a step back, "_It's okay, Cloud._"

He reached for her, "No. Please, don't leave me."

Aerith tilted her head; a smile still formed, "I won't _ever _completely leave you,"

Cloud took two steps towards her before embracing her into a tight hug, "I want you to stay with me… I want to stay with you."

Aerith smiled, pulling away from him. She looked him in the eyes, before giving him a light peck on the cheek, "Cloud, I…" She hesitated, "… I _love _you."

He was taken aback by her words, and his hands shook. An intense feeling twisting in the pit of his stomach, "… You have _no _idea, how long I've been wanting to hear those words." He muttered, pulling her back to him, "Because, _I love you too_."

And that was all Aerith needed to know.

Aerith pulled away from Cloud, and planted a small, light kiss upon his unsuspecting lips. Before turning around, and slowly walked away.

Cloud made to follow after her, but with each step he took; his eyes becoming tinted with approaching light.

She was disappearing from his sight.

Cloud's eyes, were being blinded by an approaching white, he couldn't focus on _her_. But, he could still hear _her _voice. He closed his eyes, at peace.

"… Have you forgotten…?" Her voice reached him.

"… How could I forget?" _'How could I forget, __you__?'_

When Cloud, reopened his eyes. The feathers were still falling. He cracked a light smile.

Tifa stood before him, her eyes searching his face, looking for something that she had missed.

Grasping her hands, Cloud turned his head; refusing to look away from the feathers.

_Feathers_, they symbolized freedom.

_She _was free.

And it was time that _he _was also liberated from his pain filled prison.

* * *

_Hey Cloud, it's Aerith. _

_I'm __**better**__ now.  
Zack said that __**you're also **__better._

_I'm __**happy **__for you._

_You can't __**see me**__.  
But I can __**see you**__. _

_And what I see, makes me smile._

_Tifa… She __**makes you**__ happy.  
I'm a little bit __**jealous**__ though. _

_Because she has __**you**__, and I __**don't**__. _

_I'm being __**selfish**__, I know.  
But, do you still __**love **__me Cloud? _

_I'm with __**Zack**__ he makes things happier.  
But he's not the __**same**__, he's not __**you**__._

_You and I __**won't be a part**__ for ever.  
I'll be __**waiting **__for you Cloud._

_Even if it takes, an __**eternity**__._

* * *

'_Yesterday I died, tomorrows bleeding, I fall into your sunlight…'  
_.

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Withered

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**A/N – I feel slightly depressed after writing this, please excuse me, whilst I crawl into a dark corner and listen to sad music. I need a good cry anyways. ;D ~ Cloud seems a little OOC, if so. Please tell me, and I'll edit this straight away.**

**R&R! Pwease? **

**Thanks for reading~ **


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